Why Doesn't Melo Dunk Anymore?

Though Still Only 28, Anthony Now Plays Below the Rim

TORONTO—Nine minutes into Wednesday's game against the Orlando Magic, Carmelo Anthony spun around a defender in the post, leapt and dunked a simple alley-oop pass from teammate Marcus Camby.

The play itself was—relatively speaking—unspectacular; two or three other players had dunks during the game that easily outdid it. But the fact that Anthony threw down a jam at all—particularly after having his achy right knee drained just last week—was both a positive sign and a pleasant surprise for the Knicks.

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Anthony's dunk marked just his 19th slam of the season. His 21 dunk attempts make up 1.8% of his total shots—a career-low, and a far cry from the 4.2% they accounted for just three seasons ago. In the mid-2000s, Anthony was among the NBA's most frequent dunkers, dunking on more than 10% of his shots.

All of which raises the question: Why isn't Anthony dunking anymore?

Anthony says dunking isn't that important, and that he has become more conservative about going for highlight plays since joining the league at age 19.

"You have to pick your spots unless you're one of those super athletic guys who dunks every time you get a chance," said the 28-year-old Knicks star. "So for me, dunking's not real big on my radar. If it's there, I'll do it. If it's not, I'll lay it up."

Aside from the attention they receive on TV, dunks always have been largely ornamental. Fans love the highflying plays—teammate Kenyon Martin recalled a pair of earth-shattering dunks Anthony had on Theo Ratliff when Anthony played for Denver—but they don't have much meaning.

No player who has led the NBA in dunks has won an MVP since the statistic was first tracked in 2002-03. And from a winning standpoint, just one team—the 2005 NBA champion Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade and a still-effective Shaquille O'Neal—has finished with the most dunks and made the Finals in the same season.

But Anthony's steep dunk decline has been highly unusual. His 70% drop in dunks since his rookie season is far steeper than the average player, who experiences a 25.4% drop over a 10-year career, according to Stats LLC. Anthony's 85.2% drop-off since 2006-07—his peak season, when he slammed 12.1% of the time—represents the league's greatest decline of any wing player who dunked at least 4% of the time as a rookie.

Of course, several factors could affect why a player jams less frequently—offensive and defensive strategies chief among them.

Anthony has served as a power forward this season, posting up 18.2% of plays, according to Synergy Sports. That limits his ability to get forward momentum going toward the hoop. That is different from 2006, when he was left unguarded for 52% of his jump shots, and had extra space to blow past poorly positioned defenders.

Still, when comparing Anthony to other elite wing players who have averaged 20 points per game, his decline stands alone. That group has seen a dunk decline of just 23.1% from their peak season to now.

There are only a few players who have seen anywhere near the decline in dunks that Anthony has. The Los Angeles Clippers' Caron Butler, Indiana Pacers' Danny Granger and New Orleans Hornets' Eric Gordon have all seen a decline of more than 70% from their peak season, as have Knicks guard J.R. Smith and ex-Knick David Lee, who is now with the Golden State Warriors.

The common trait among those players: Most of them have had serious leg injuries. The first three players had knee procedures, while Lee and Smith have been slowed this season by knee and Achilles ailments, respectively.

Anthony, who insists his knee is pain-free now, has been adamant in saying he doesn't need surgery after the season. But longtime teammates Marcus Camby has noticed the difference in his explosiveness.

"You could tell Mel wasn't himself," forward Marcus Camby said. "He's played nonstop the past year, between the NBA season, the Olympics and all that other stuff. So it's probably a bit of both: [the wear and tear] and the fact that he's evolved as a player.

"Because of that, it's always nice to see him throw one down, just to remind people he can still do it."

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